


Dinner Plans Can Always Be Cancelled

by alafaye



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-14
Updated: 2013-05-14
Packaged: 2017-12-11 21:37:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If it meant that Tony wasn't alone in his shop, then dinner plans could wait.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner Plans Can Always Be Cancelled

**Author's Note:**

  * For [candream](https://archiveofourown.org/users/candream/gifts).



> Written for LJ's candream who asked for "Tony and Bruce, science buddies". This was for the happy April swap, but it's obviously late. But it's here!
> 
> Also covers the 'best friends' square for love bingo.

"Good evening, Ms. Potts," Jarvis greeted Pepper as she entered the elevator. 

"Good evening," she replied, answering an email on her phone. The elevator, under Jarvis command, was already taking her down to the basement. She had reservations in two hours with Tony for dinner, but she needed to check before she changed--check if he remembered, if he wasn't elbows deep in something he couldn't be pulled away from, if he was even awake.

One never knew with Tony.

Email answered, she tucked her phone away as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. She couldn't hear anything--luckily. The doors and windows were soundproofed and she overrode the stereo as she walked into the workshop. A little silence was very appreciated after work.

"Toward the back," Jarvis directed her. "In the lab."

"Bruce is visiting?" she asked.

"And, briefly, Agent Coulson," Jarvis finished, though with a slight hesitation.

She sighed, seeing their dinner reservations go to waste. As she turned the corner into the lab turned over for Bruce's specific use, she pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "No dinner tonight, then?"

Tony's head popped up from where he was indeed elbow deep in work. "Huh? Dinner?" His eyes widened. "Oh! Dinner! Yes, right, dinner."

"Hi, Pepper," Bruce waved. He was studying a blown up image of something that looked complicated and certainly nothing like what Pepper vaguely remembered from biology class.

Tony was trying to move his arms out from a pair of gloves that were inside an enclosed glass case. "Just let me, ah...Bruce?"

"One minute," Bruce muttered. "Move your finger and tilt the dish to your right. I need to see what those two are doing over there."

"They're not mutating, right?" Pepper asked, her stomach beginning to clench with worry. "I mean, it's safe for that to be here, right?"

"Huh?" Bruce leaned forward. "Yeah. They're fine. They're enclosed, Tony's robots are locked out of here. Nothing to worry about."

Tony shrugged and Bruce clucked his tongue when it made the image he was studying jump. Pepper crossed the room and kissed Tony's cheek. "We'll have dinner out later. It's fine."

"Sorry about this," Tony said. "I really wanted to go tonight--you got a new dress, right? A slinky black number."

"A gorgeous pair of red heels," she finished. "Another time."

He leered over his shoulder. "Promise?"

"Yep." She wrapped her arms around his stomach and hugged him. "Have fun."

"Always is with Bruce," Tony quipped.

Certainly not the fun that it had been before Bruce--the number of accidental fires and general accidents did decrease when they were working on projects together. She watched them a little longer with a smile. She was sure that no one could ever take Rhodey's place, but she suspected that with the Avengers coming together, Tony had gained more than just a team to pester. She hadn't expected Tony to have a best friend other than Rhodey, but she was thankful.

If only because it meant less anxiety. She nodded and left them to it.


End file.
